Stranding apparatus



H. BURR STRANDING APPARATUS Jan. 2, 1968 Filed Oct. 8, 1965 2 SheetSSheet 2 Fig.5

IN yaw/"01a. HARVEY BURR United States Patent 3,360,919 STRANDINGAPPARATUS Harvey Burr, Bronxville, N.Y., assignor to Anaconda Wire andCable Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed (let. 8, 1965, Ser. No.494,011 6 Claims. (Cl. 57--59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Stranders forinsulated wire pay the wire from coils mounted on cantilevered rotatingshafts on which are mounted fiyers that rotate with the shafts androtating hoods that surround both the flyers and the coils. The shaftsare hollow, and the strands pass through their centers.

My invention relates to apparatus for wire stranding and particularly tosuch apparatus wherein the wire is withdrawn over the side of the supplycoil.

Stranding machines for Wire and other filaments may be classed in twobasic types: those in which the supply is rotated to provide thenecessary twist, and those in which the twisting is accomplished byrotating the take-up means.

Since the reel on which the twisted strand is taken up is commonlylarger and heavier than the individual supply reels, the first type ofstrander has the advantage that the rotating elements may be lighter andhave a smaller diameter than the second type, and the present inventionis directed toward a novel strander of the type in which the supply isrotated to provide the necessary twist.

I propose by my invention to provide a strander capable of operating atvery high speed.

I further propose by my invention to provide a strander that does notapply excessive tension to the strands. For this reason, among others,my strander is particularly useful for twinning telephone conductors inthe manufacture of twisted pairs.

I propose by my invention to provide a high-speed strander capable ofhandling a large supply of strand without reloading.

I further propose by my invention to provide a strander which can bequickly and easily loaded.

And I further propose by my invention to provide a strander that issimple, and economical to build.

In accordance with the aforesaid purposes my strander comprises at leastone cantilever means supporting a coil of a first elongated strandrotatable around a horizontal axis, means rotatingly driving the coil,and flyer means rotating around this axis guiding the strand from thecoil. It also comprises a strand-confining hood surrounding the coiland, preferably, rotating around the axis, means dispersingly supportinga supply of a second elongated strand, means guiding the second strandthrough the coil, aforming die, and means advancing the first and secondstrands through the die with the strands being twisted in the die.

In certain embodiments my strander comprises a plurality of supportingmeans, which may be standards, consecutively disposed in upstream anddownstream relation and a like plurality of shafts each mounted on oneof the supporting means. The shafts are horizontally positioned along acommon axis with each of the shafts cantilevered to project down-streamof its respective supporting means and at least those of said shaftsdownstream of the furthest upstream of the shafts are hollow. There aremeans for rotating coils of strands around each of the shafts which maycomprise having the shafts mounted in journals and providing means torotate the shafts. There are means guiding the strands through thedownstream shafts and a plurality of flyer means, each rotatable aroundone of ice the shafts guiding loops of the strands from the coils. Mystrander comprises hoods surrounding each of the shafts and confiningthe strand loops. Preferably, the hoods are rotated with the shafts.There is also a forming die mounted downstream of the furthestdownstream of the shafts, on the line of the axis of the shafts, andmeans advancing the strands through the die Where they are twistedtogether.

An embodiment of my strander comprises a twinner comprising a journalmounted on supporting means with a shaft rotatably mounted in thejournal and projecting from both ends sufficiently to support two coilsof strand. The flyers are mounted at both ends of the shaft and thereare means guiding the strand from the upstream coil back through theshaft. Another embodiment, which comprises a plurality of standards, andshafts rotatably mounted on the standards, has the shafts cantileveredto project upstream of their respective standards, and means guiding thestrands back through their coils.

An embodiment of my strander comprises a twinner with the shaftscantilevered to project toward each other between the standards andmeans guiding both strands through the downstream coil.

A more thorough understanding of my invention may be gained from a studyof the appended drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 shows a side view, partly in section, of an apparatus of myinvention.

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of another embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 3 shows a side view of still another embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 4 shows a side view of still another embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 5 shows a side view of still another embodiment of my invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a strander, indicated generally by the numeral10, comprises two standards 11, 12 mounted in an upstream and downstreamrelation, the standard 11 being upstream. The strander 10 comprises onlytwo standards for stranding together two insulated telephone wires 13,14. It is therefore within the class of stranders commonly referred toas twinners. My invention is not limited to twinners, however, as may beseen in the embodiment of FIGURE 2. Particularly, for twisting telephoneconductors, it will have applicability for quadders. Nor is my inventionconfined to apparatus for telephone conductors, or even insulated wiresbut may be used for twisting bare wires to form a stranded conductor orfor plastic or textile strands. A journal 16 is mounted on the standard11 and a journal 17 is mounted on the standard 12. A shaft 19 iscantilevered in the journal 16 and a shaft 21 is similarly cantileveredin the journal 17 so that each of the shafts has its greater lengthprotruding downstream of its respective journal. The upstream ends ofthe shafts 19, 21 are fitted respectively with pulleys 22, 23 and drivebelts 24, 25 by means of which the shafts are driven in rotation from aline shaft 26 driven, in turn, by a motor 27. A cylindrical hood 23 isrigidly locked to the shaft 19 by means of a collar 29 so that the hoodrotates along with theshaft. And, similarly a hood 31 is locked to theshaft 21 with a collar 32. The hood 28 is large enough to cover a reel33 which holds a coil 34 of the wire 13 and the hood 31 covers a similarreel 36 holding a coil 37 of the strand 14. Pins 38, 39 projecting fromthe backs of the hoods 28, 31 fit into holes 41, 42 in the flanges ofthe reels 33, 36 to drive the reels around with the shafts. The reel 33is locked onto the shaft 19 by means of a collar 43 that is fastened tothe shaft with a set screw 44. The collar 43 is grooved for a ball race46 which supports a flyer 47 free to rotate therearound. The flyer 47has an arm 48 and a counterweight 49. A11

eyelet 51 serves to guide the strand 13 in a loop 52 as it is pulledfrom the coil 34. A similar flyer 53 is used to guide the strand 14. Thestrands are pulled from the reels 33, 36 by a capstan 54 acting on atwisted pair 56 into which the strands are twisted in the strandingoperation. The twisted pair 56 is finally taken up on a reel 57, boththe capstan 54- and reel 57 being driven from the line shaft 26 in aknown manner. Although the illustrated embodiment has a capstan andtake-up it will be understood that the strander of my invention may paydirectly into some subsequent operation such as extruding or cabling. Agrommet 58 mounted on a standard 59 in the line of the axis of theshafts 19, 21 serves as guide means for guiding the strand 13 throughthe shaft 21 which is hollew. For the sake of uniformity in fabricationthe shaft 19 may also conveniently be hollow but this is not necessaryfor the successful operation of my strander. The shaft 19 is thefurthest upstream of the shafts and only the shafts downstream of thefurthest upstream need be hollow to permit the passage of the upstreamstrands through them.

In leaving the reels 33, 36 the strands 13, 14 form loops 52, 64 guidedby the eyelet 51 and a similar eyelet 62 in the flyer 53. The loops tendto increase in size but are restrained by the hoods 28, 31. Abrasion ofthe surface of the strands is minimized by having the hoods rotate withthe shafts 19, 21 so that the only circumferential abrasion on thestrands is due to the rotation of the loops as they unwind from thereel. In cases where rubbing of the strands against the hoods isinconsequential either because of the toughness of the strands or theirlow mass, the hoods 28, 31 may be held stationary. The shafts arerotating counterclockwise, looking downstream, so that the top sectionof the hoods 28, 31, as seen in the drawing, are moving away from theobserver into the plane of the drawing. The coils are wound clockwise(looking downstream) on the reels so that they unwind counterclockwise.This means that the fiyer 47, and the similar flyer 53 associated withthe reel 36 are rotating at a speed greater than the speed of rotationof the shafts and reels, the difference in speed being required tounwind the strands from the reels. I have found that this means ofoperation is capable of withdrawing strand smoothly at very high speeds.A means of operation in which the flyer rotates at a slower speed thanthe reels will not perform satisfactorily.

The strand 14 is brought in contact with the strand 1.3 which has passedthrough the shaft 21, and thus through the coil 37, at a forming die 67mounted in the line of the axis of the shafts 19, 21. The two wireswithin the die 67 are twisted due to the rotation of the coils 34, 37and fiyers 47, 53 to form the twisted pair 56. The length of lay of thetwist depends, in a known manner, on the speed of rotation of thecapstan 54 compared to the speed of rotation of the coils.

Other possible embodiments of my invention are shown in FIGURES 2-5.

In FIGURE 2 a reel 68 that is furthest upstream is not rotated while therotation of the downstream reel serves to wrap the downstream strandsaround a strand 69 from the reel 68. When the downstream reels are sixin number this embodiment of my invention has particular utility for themanufacture of seven-strand cable.

In FIGURE 3 I have shown a twinner indicated generally by the numeral 71wherein two reels 72, 73 are supported on a single shaft 74 rotatablymounted on a standard 7 5. In this case a strand 7 6 is removed from theupstream reel 72 and looped back through the center of the same reelwhile the strand from the downstream reel 73 is handled in the samemanner as the strand from the reel 36 of FIGURE 1. Both strands aretwisted in a forming die 77 as before.

In the strander of FIGURE 4, both the upstream and downstream reels havethe strands looped back through their own coils. And in FIGURE I show astrander that accommodates the loops from two strands by looping astrand 78 from a downstream coil 79 back through the coil while a strand81 from an upstream coil 82 is handled in the manner of the strand ofFIGURE 1. In FIGURES 4 and 5 a forming die 83 fits into the upstream endof a hollow shaft 84 rotating in a journal 86. The die 83 may be heldstationary by a non-rotating tube 87 that fits through the shaft 84 andis supported by a standard 88, or it might be mounted similarly to thedie 67 (FIG- URE 1).

The embodiments of my invention described hereinabove have beenexemplary rather than definitive and other embodiments coming within thescope of my invention are defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strander for insulated wire comprising:

(A) a plurality of supporting means consecutively disposed in upstreamand downstream relation,

(B) a like plurality of shafts (a) each mounted on one of saidsupporting means,

(b) said shafts being horizontally positioned along a common axis,

(0) each of said shafts being canilevered to project downstream of itsrespective supporting means,

(d) at least those of said shafts downstream of the furthest upstream ofsaid shafts being hollow,

(C) means for rotating coils of insulated wires around each of saidshafts,

(D) means guiding said insulated wires through the downstream shafts,

(E) a plurality of fiyer means,

(a) each comprising an arm mounted to rotate freely on one of saidshafts,

(b) guiding loops of said insulated wires from said coils,

(F) a plurality of hoods (a) each surrounding one of said shafts andsaid flyers and (b) confining said loops,

(G) a forming die (a) mounted in the line of said axis (b) downstream ofthe furthest downstream of said shafts, and

(H) means advancing said insulated wires through said die, saidinsulated wires being twisted together in said die.

2. A strander for insulated wires comprising:

(A) a plurality of standards,

(B) a like plurality of journals individually mounted on said standards,

(C) a like plurality of shafts (a) rotatably mounted in said journalsalong a common axis,

(b) at least those of said shafts downstream of the furthest upstream ofsaid shafts being hollow,

(D) means rotating said shafts,

(E) a like plurality of hoods individually mounted on said shafts androtating therewith,

(F) a like plurality of reels holding coils of insulated wireindividually mounted on said shafts within said hoods and rotatingtherewith,

(G) a like plurality of flyers comprising arms mounted on said shaftsand rotating freely around said axis within said hoods and guiding saidinsulated wires from said reels,

(H) means guiding said insulated wires through said hollow shafts,

(I) a forming die mounted on said axis, and

(1') means advancing said insulated wires through said die, saidinsulated wires being twisted together in said die.

3. A strander for insulated wires comprising:

(A) a plurality of supporting means consecutively disposed in upstreamand downstream relation,

(B) a like plurality of journals individually mounted on said supportingmeans,

(C) a like plurality of shafts (a) rotatably mounted in said journals,

(b) at least those of said shafts downstream of the furthest upstream ofsaid shafts being hollow,

(c) said shafts having a common horizontal axis,

and

(d) each of said shafts being cantilevered to project downstream of itsrespective supporting means,

(D) means rotating said shafts,

(E) a plurality of flyer means, each comprising an arm mounted upon andfreely rotatable around one of said shafts,

(F) a plurality of hoods (a) each surrounding one of said shafts andsaid flyer means and (b) rotating therewith,

(G) a forming die (a) mounted in the line of said axis (b) downstream ofthe furthest downstream of said shafts, and

(H) means advancing said insulated wires through said die.

4. A twinner for insulated telephone wires comprising:

(A) supporting means,

(B) a journal mounted on said means,

(C) a shaft rotatably mounted in said journal and (a)projecting fromboth ends of said journal sufficiently to support two coils of saidtelephone wires,

(b) said shaft being hollow,

(D) means rotating said shaft,

(E) flyers comprising arms mounted upon both ends of said shaft forguiding telephone wires from said coils,

(F) a plurality of hoods (a) rotatably mounted on said shaft,

(b) surrounding said coils and said flyers,

(G) means guiding the telephone wires from the up stream of said coilsback through said shaft,

(H) a forming die (a) mounted on the axis of rotation of said shaft,

(b) downstream thereof, and

(1) means advancing said telephone Wires from said coils through saiddie, said telephone wires being twisted in said die.

5. A strander for insulated wires comprising:

(A) a plurality of standards,

(B) a like plurality of journals individually mounted on said standards,

(C) a like plurality of hollow shafts (a) rotatably mounted in saidjournals along a common axis,

(b) said shafts being cantilevered to project upstream of theirrespective standards,

(D) means rotating said shafts,

(E) a like plurality of hoods individually mounted on said shafts androtating therewith,

(F) means mounting a like plurality of coils of insulated wire on saidshafts within said hoods and rotating therewith,

(G) a like plurality of flyers comprising arms mounted upon and freelyrotating around said shafts within said hoods and guiding said insulatedwires from said coils,

(H) means guiding each insulated wire back through its respective coil,

(1) a forming die mounted on the line of said axis,

and

(1) means advancing said insulated wire through said die, said insulatedWires being twisted together in said die.

6. A twinner for insulated telephone Wires comprising:

(A) two standards,

(B) two journals individually mounted on said standards,

(C) two shafts (a) rotatably mounted in said journals along a commonaxis,

(b) said shafts being cantilevered to project towards each other betweensaid standards,

(D) means rotating said shafts,

(E) hood means mounted on said shafts and rotating therewith,

(F) means mounting two coils of insulated telephone wires on said shaftswithin said hood means and rotating therewith,

(G) two flyers comprising arms mounted upon and freely rotating aroundsaid shafts and guiding said telephone wires from said coils,

(H) means guiding both telephone wires through the downstream of saidcoils, and

(I) means advancing said telephone wires.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,119 2/1930 Firtion 57-182,276,797 3 1942 Schlums 571 6 2,782,590 2/1957 Lowe 57-5855 X 2,826,0353/1958 Cogger 57-63 X 3,119,224 1/1964 Kocks 57-58.52 3,124,923 3/1964Volk 57-17 3,124,924 3/1964 Smith 57-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 915,345 7/1946France.

942,211 11/ 1963 Great Britain.

531,319 8/1955 Italy.

WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Primary Examiner.

